Very Short Interview, Part 2

My first interview was very straightforward, but it was pretty insightful. I never posted it because I waited to long to email my entrepreneur. It was very nice to hear some similar ideas repeated by someone not in our class.

1) To what extent has your business altered your personal life?

Relatively little impact. I tend to leave work at work pretty well so that helps. When the stress is exceptionally bad it certainly has an impact on mood, but I try really hard to balance work/personal life and am fortunate to be in a place now where I can work as much or as little as I want to. 

2) What are you most proud of with regard to your business?

The lasting impact it has made in the area. The brand is well known in beer circles, but in Tampa Bay it has become nearly ubiquitous and that is pretty cool. Right there with that is the opportunity we have provided for our employees to work in an industry they love as much as I do and be able to earn a living at it. 

3) What is the best way to make connections with people in a given industry?

Become a student of that industry. Attend trade shows related to that industry. Subscribe to publications that cover that industry. Just really immerse yourself in the jargon, news and developments of that industry. 

In this class I have learned a lot about holding myself accountable. It is important to understand your own limits and then push them to fit all that we can, and my limits have absolutely been pushed by the workload. It was not difficult, but required a lot of thought and preparation. I was not used to having to prepare so much and so often for every assignment, but I really gained a lot from it. I now feel much more knowledgeable about entrepreneurship, and I feel more confident in my ability to discuss it given my new-found understanding.